Living Better With Less Carbon

During this time of environmental assaults emanating from Washington, DC, what is a concerned person to do? We can make a lot of noise with petition signing, marches, and visiting legislators.

Those actions all help. After all, EPA head Scott Pruitt just resigned in part because environmentalists and media kept the heat on regarding his scandalous abuse of power. The battle to protect our environment continues.

Meanwhile, as we keep the pressure on and prepare to vote, one can at least help the environment through personal choices. That’s why my husband and I chose to downsize. After 40 years living in a suburban 3,400 square foot home, we moved to an urban setting thereby reducing our carbon footprint and energy use. A side benefit is more free time due to less maintenance plus an opportunity to age-in-place.

Now carbon is good at some level—humans are carbon units. However, too much carbon in the air is the precursor of climate chaos. Environmental disruption makes it hard for life to exist as we know it.

So my criteria for contributing less carbon meant any house had to be made of sustainable materials and be energy efficient. It should not contribute to urban sprawl, but be located in a walkable, bikeable area close to daily supplies. We preferred one story on flat land in a mixed zoning area with both commercial and residential buildings.

After an extensive hunt, we found it! Our new Southside home measures 1680 square feet with a small lawn lined with 22 arborvitae trees. It’s an old building renovated by award winning architects. Materials are primarily concrete, reclaimed lumber, and glass for natural daylighting.

The location permits short walks to restaurants, coffee shops, Chattanooga Market, dog-park, medical services, a fire department, small businesses, some government buildings, and the shuttle. That eliminates much more driving, thus further lessening transportation emissions.

It’s a wonderful sustainable start: No new material was used building a new house or disturbing new land. No trees lost their lives for clearing and no new impervious paving was added. For energy efficiency, the appliances have eco settings and there is a heat pump. In this extremely hot weather, our electric bill in June was $62.31 about half that of our previous home. Our share of EPB’s Community Solar also reduces fossil fuel use.

Now the hard part: Stuff accumulated over 40 years. There are some sentimental mementos, but most is unneeded and besides where would we put it in our new setting? We left the freezer, most furniture, bedding, extra entertainment supplies, craft items, toys, tools, art work, outgrown or dated clothing, old LPs, old files and office supplies, and ever so many books. We made several trips to donate furniture, tools, clothing, and books. We assured any friends who came to visit that they couldn’t leave without taking something.

An estate salesman came to set up one of those events where they stage the house items and take 30-35 percent of any income. After visiting he said he could give us the name of someone who could clear it all out and pay us. What he really meant was we didn’t have enough stuff to make it worth his while.

What? Drawers and closets are still filled with stuff. Every table and wall sports stuff. My environmental conscience won’t let me just send all to the landfill. Someone can reuse items and avoid using resources buying new things. It’s going to take time.

Meanwhile, we have reduced our carbon footprint. Our move fits our dream for quality of life. Leaving all that stuff behind is freeing. We are certainly not suffering as we take charge of our future. We already have set up bird feeders, compost bin, and tomato, pepper and basil plants.

Still, there’s more conservation that comes from lifestyle habits associated with water, waste, and energy. Perhaps solar panels? Wherever you live, if more of us take carbon-reducing actions, the Earth will be better for it.

Sandra Kurtz is an environmental community activist, chair of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance, and is presently working through the Urban Century Institute. You can visit her website to learn more at enviroedu.net